Getting in gear for
a second year

by JACK OATMON

This column caps off the first year of Disco Volante’s existence. That’s a whole year of hands-on investigation of the progressive and fanatical elements of Montreal’s club and concert scenes. We’ve been to myriad celebrations and expositions of the highest and lowest order, spanning the entire spectrum of venues and spaces hidden in the shadowy crannies and bustling thoroughfares of this wild city. We’ve seen some of the pioneering luminaries of our times hypnotizing and fomenting hedonistic mayhem among the music-loving public. We’ve been both glamorous and guttural in all manner of locales, from dingy to distinguished, always fighting the urge to indulge in those nagging hints of responsible foresight that loom like flies of reason buzzing around our ringing ears. Yup, it’s been an incredible, challenging, ludicrously entertaining year, and let me tell you, I’ve got a fucking headache that could kill a lab monkey.

While the persistent, cracking dryness at the corners of my mouth and throbbing of my over-danced ankles evidence the charmed life at my heels, the bloodshot eyes that hide behind my shades peer ominously forward, toward a summer that already threatens to be jam-packed with amazing concerts. So I hope you’re ready.

Fresh off last week’s barrage of events, in which we heard Digitalism’s art-punk approach to euphoric electro and the marvelous grandeur of Bloc Party, as well as the dodgy disco of the Presets and Lo-Fi-Fnk, this week promises to be a big one too. Woe is they who miss the second time ’round for the Ed Banger Posse on Saturday, but that’s not all.

A guaranteed rager is slotted for the SAT on Friday, March 30, when hipster extraordinaire DL Jones celebrates his birthday to the groovy, fluorescent crunk of Amanda Blank, Spank Rock and Pase Rock. As ever, his Peer Pressure pals A-Rock and Hatchmatik light up the floor with a fine blend of electro, handclapping rap and fashionable mashups. Stay tuned to the Peer Pressure crew for a Tuesday showing of Brazil’s rockin’, low-end baile-funk phenomenon, Bonde do Role, at Club Lambi.

Furthermore, La Cabane à Sucre Electronik, an exciting reminder of the upcoming Piknic Electronik season, happens on the first of April, fools. The vibe will be friendly and festive, the venue (Cabane à sucre Jean-Parent in St-Ambroise-de-Kildare) rustic and relaxing, and the tunes first-rate, with DJ Remo, Pan/Tone, Sid LeRock and Mini. Get your tickets, with transportation organized, at Moog on St-Laurent or Atom Heart on Sherbrooke.

Well, there you have it: another crazy week to welcome another crazy year. So, while continuing to provide the most adequate narrative I can about Montreal’s whirlwind dance-music scene, I’ve recently expanded my activities to include informal studies of the city’s street-level live jazz community as well as some of the larger clubs that are often absent from Disco Volante’s personalized forays, the results of which I will hopefully be bringing to you in the coming months. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears to the underground.

Get your !!! tickets ASAP, folks…jack.oatmon@gmail.com